A car vs. bus accident is reported at Railroad Avenue and Main Street in Alexander. No injuries are reported but Mercy medics are called to the scene for evaluation. Alexander Fire Department is responding.

UPDATE 4:29 p.m.: This involved a school bus. The few children onboard were evaluated by medics and deemed unhurt. Their parents are en route to pick them up and then the assignment will be back in service.

• All after-school and evening activities at Pavilion Central Schools are cancelled.

E-mail cancellations to howard@thebatavian.com

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today introduced one of 17 resolutions aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in state government at a press conference held by Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb (R,C-Canandaigua) in Albany.

Hawley proposed requiring a two-thirds majority of the house to pass a message of necessity, but all of the 17 reform measures were defeated by the Assembly Majority during today’s Legislative Session.

“It is unacceptable that these reforms were unanimously defeated by the Assembly Majority, especially after the slew of corruption cases that stained Albany last year,” Hawley said. “Our top priority should be restoring faith in government and increasing our openness and transparency but it has become clear that the Assembly Majority does not care at all about ethics reform.

“I have been an outspoken opponent of messages of necessity because they are the antithesis to good government and usually accompany controversial legislation such as the SAFE-Act. All legislation should be properly vetted and debated before a vote is taken, but messages of necessity rob us of that procedural safeguard. Until we make major changes to how the house functions, we run the risk of entrenched corruption continuing in Albany.”

It's cleared now, but about a half hour ago, Batavia got hit by a snow squall that reduced visibility. It was hard to see even more than a few trees deep into Centennial Park.

Forecasts show another band or two of lake effect snow heading our way this afternoon. The National Weather Service is Buffalo has a lake effect snow advisory in place until 10 p.m.

As the state has cut mental health services, counties have become increasingly burdened with dealing with de-institutionalized people who often wind up in trouble and in jail.

Locally, people involved in the criminal justice system would like to find ways to keep people with mental health issues out of jail, and to that end the county will apply for a grant to send five people to a summit in Washington, D.C., where local officials from across the country will discuss how they're dealing with these same issues.

"Everyone in the criminal justice community agrees this is an issue and it's an issue that is bigger than just us, so let's go talk with others in other communities and find out ways that worked in their communities and see if we can bring back some of those ideas to Genesee County," said Assistant County Manager Matt Landers.

Landers said Sue Gagne, director of the Mental Health Association, found out about the summit and grant for attendees and brought the idea to Undersheriff William Sheron, who brought it to Landers' attention.

Landers and Director of Mental Health Ellery Reeves presented a resolution authorizing an application for the grant to the Human Services Committee on Monday.

The committee unanimously recommended the full Legislature approve the application at its next meeting.

Though there are no hard numbers, it's clear there are more and more people coming into the jail who have mental health issues, Landers said.

"That number is growing and we don't think it's a coincidence that as the state is closing down institutions and these individuals leave these institutions and come back to their communities of home, that we are now finding some of these individuals using our jails," Landers said.

Mental health issues run the gamut, including depression and schizophrenia, that jail personnel are required to monitor. That adds to the expense of running the jail as well as increasing the jail population.

There's also substance abuse problems connected to these individuals, Reeves said.

"There is no separation," Reeves said. "Literally, when you're saying 'mental health,' you're saying 'mental health and substance abuse.' "

The goal of attending the conference is to find ways of linking services and strategies to either keep people out of jail or keep them in treatment once they're released from jail so they are less likely to return, Reeves said.

Landers said as much of 70 percent of the people incarcerated here at any one time might have mental health issues, which is substantially more, he said, than a few years ago.

Funeral arrangments have been announced for Joseph Ogozaly Jr., 58, of Batavia, who was struck and killed by a pickup truck Saturday night on Main Street, Batavia.

Ogozaly, a veteran of the Air Force, will be buried with military honors at 10 a.m. Friday at Grandview Cemetery.

Det. Rich Schauf said there is no new information available in the investigation into the accident that claimed Ogozaly's life.

The driver of the truck has not been charged and his name has not been released.

"We are still investigating the circumstances of the incident to determine the outcome," Schauf said.

For Ogozaly's full obituary, click here.

Leonard A. Johnson, 23, of Hutchins Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd. Johnson is accused of selling crack cocaine to agents of the Local Drug Task Force on two separate occasions in 2015. Johnson was arrested on a warrant while at the County Courts Facility on an unrelated matter. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed on $25,000 bail.

Duffy Starks, 23, of North Spruce Street, Batavia, is charged with two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, 3rd, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, 3rd. Starks was arrested on a Grand Jury indictment warrant based on an investigation by the Local Drug Task Force into the sale of crack cocaine in and around the City of Batavia. Starks was jailed on $50,000 bail.

Tylee Demetrius "Love" Gaines, 37, of Waverly Place, Rochester, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell, criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, unlawful possession of marijuana, two counts of aggravated unlicensed operation, obstructed view and unlicensed operator. Gaines was stopped on Ross Street at 4:30 p.m. Thursday by Officer Chad Richards. Gaines was stopped for an alleged obstructed view. He was allegedly found driving on a suspended license. Patrols allegedly detected the odor of marijuana. Gaines was arrested and transported to Batavia PD headquarters where he was allegedly found in possession of marijuana and several small bags of crack cocaine. He was arraigned in City Court and jailed without bail.

Patrick D. Neaverth, 35, of Genesee Street, Buffalo, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Neaverth is accused of slapping a mobile phone out of a woman's hand and grabbing her by the arm and pulling her to the ground while at a residence on Kingsbury Avenue, Batavia, at 4 a.m. Monday. He was jailed on $250 bail.

Essence A. Williams, 18, of Dellinger Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on a second-degree harassment charge. Williams was jailed on $100 bail.

Rochelle V. Tomlin, 39, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with obligation of a parent or guardian. Tomlin was charged under Batavia Municipal Code after her child was allegedly found loitering on Porter Avenue at 2 a.m., past curfew.

Jolene M. Chenault, 33, of Highland Park, Batavia, turned herself in on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on an aggravated unauthorized operation, 3rd, charge. Chenault posted $200 police bail.

Jillian L. Lafond, 37, of Tracy Avenue, Batavia, is charged with DWI, refusal to take breath test, open container and passing red light. Lafond was stopped in the area of 413 E. Main St., Batavia, at 9:56 p.m. Jan. 5 by Officer Chad Richards.

Joseph M. Furst, 55, of Richmond Avenue, Batavia, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, 7th, possession of a hypodermic instrument and criminal use of drug paraphernalia. Furst was allegedly found in possession of a hypodermic needle and a glassine envelope containing a controlled substance at 9:45 p.m. Thursday at a location on Richmond Avenue by Officer Christopher Lindsay.

Lance M. Mercado, 25, of Holland Avenue, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Mercado is accused of shoplifting at Tops on Dec. 17.

Ward E. Royse, 40, of Walnut Street, Batavia, is charged with petit larceny. Royse is accused of shoplifting at Tops on Thursday.

Robert Lee Williams Jr., 25, of West Main Street, Batavia, is charged with harassment, 2nd. Williams was arrested following an alleged altercation at 3:21 p.m. Thursday during a basketball game at the YMCA. Williams allegedly struck another male.

Tracey L. Brewer, 50, of McKinley Avenue, Batavia, is charged with obligation of parent or guardian. Brewer was charged under Batavia Municipal Code after her child was allegedly found loitering on Liberty Street after curfew at 12:12 a.m. Saturday while police were in the area investigating a reported disturbance.

Roger James Farney III, 33, of Clayton Street, Batavia, is charged with driving under combined influence of drugs and alcohol, following too closely, moving from lane unsafely and expired inspection. Farney was stopped at 1:05 p.m. Jan. 5 on Pearl Street, Batavia, by Officer Jason Davis. A witness reported an erratic driver in the area. Farney was jailed on $2,500 bail.

Tyler Doreen Price, 23, of East Main Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear to complete community service. Price was arraigned and released on his own recognizance with instructions by Judge Robert C. Balbick to report to Genesee Justice for community service.

Jeremy L. Lonnen, 24, of Central Avenue, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear. No further details released.

Jennifer L. Allegue, 43, of Ross Street, Batavia, is charged with allowing child to violate city curfew. Allegue's child was allegedly found on Liberty Street after the 11 p.m. city curfew at 12:12 a.m. Saturday while police were investigating a reported disturbance in the area.

Steven Michael Dick, 24, of Ellicott Street, Batavia, was arrested on a warrant for alleged failure to appear on two previous traffic violations. Dick was arraigned in City Court, entered a guilty plea, paid a fine and was released.

Teresa L. Jackson, 25, of Walter Smith Road, Catskill, is charged with aggravated unlicensed operation, 2nd, uninspected motor vehicle, and inadequate tail lamps. Jackson was stopped at 1:41 a.m. Monday on Pearl Street, Batavia, by Officer Matthew Wojtaszczyk.

YMCA Waives half its joining fee to jump start your January! Are you ready to shed those extra holiday pounds? Looking for a fresh start in 2016? Has cabin fever already started setting in? Join the Y during our membership campaign and save! Between 1/11/16 and 1/31/16 we will waive HALF the joining fee on any membership category. Up to $37.50 in savings!

YMCA Membership entitles you and your loved ones the chance to become part of an organization that believes in and promotes active and healthy lifestyles, progressive skill development, fair play, family, and character development. The YMCA is not just another gym. When you join the Y, you join a family and what’s more you join a place where people are looking for changes to their overall health. The Genesee County YMCA offers a wide array of programs and services to meet the interests and needs of the entire family from memberships for youth, college students, families and seniors. From swimming lessons and sports, to childcare and summer camping, there is truly something for everyone at the Genesee County YMCA. 

If you feel like you cannot afford a YMCA membership, it is the policy of the YMCA that no one is turned away due to an inability to pay. Financial assistance for membership and programs is available through the annual Strong Communities Campaign. The application process is easy and confidential. Please call or visit our member service desk to obtain an application. For more information on membership or programs offered at the Genesee County YMCA, please call (585)344­-1664 or log on to our Web site at www.glowymca.org. 

David Lavalle Andrews , 28, of State Street, Batavia, was arrested at 1 p.m. on Jan. 14 after allegedly failing to appear in Town of Batavia Court nearly two years ago after being released on bail. Andrews allegedly failed to turn himself in within 30 of a court appearance scheduled on Feb. 27, 2014. He is charged with third-degree bail jumping and is now in Genesee County jail. He was to appear in Batavia Town Court today. The case was handled by Deputy Thomas Sanfratello, assisted by Deputy Patrick Reeves.

Edward Jordan White, 20, of Michigan Street, Lockport, is charged with second-degree bail jumping. He was arrested at 9 a.m. on Jan. 12 and put in Genesee County Jail for allegedly failing to appear in County Court on April 7, 2015, for a felony proceeding and then not turning himself in within 30 days of the court date. The case was handled by Deputy Thomas Sanfratello.

Dennis Wayne Narvaez, 34, of Bank Street Road, Elba, is charged with speeding (77 in a 55-mph zone), refusal to take breath test, driving while ability impaired by alcohol (DWAI), and aggravated unlicensed operation, 3rd. Narvaez was arrested at 1:09 a.m. on Jan. 9 on Clinton Street Road in Stafford following a traffic stop. The case was handled by Deputy Kevin Forsyth, assisted by Deputy Howard Carlson.

A 16-year-old who lives on Porter Avenue in Batavia was arrested at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 10 and charged with petit larceny. The arrest was made following a complaint of shoplifting at Kohl's. A 14-year-old accomplice was also allegedly involved. The defendant was released with an appearance ticket. The case was handled by Deputy Matthew Fleming.

Press release:

Sixth-grader Elli Schelemanow bested 22 other participants in the annual Robert Fowler/Byron-Bergen Grades 6-8 and Buffalo Evening News Spelling Bee held last month. Schelemanow now represents Byron-Bergen in the run for regional representation at The Scripps National Spelling Bee. Up next for her is a written test in early February to determine her eligibility for the regional spelling bee. That competition, The Western New York Oral Final, will be held on Sunday, March 13, at 1:30 p.m. at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.

Runners-up this year are Byron-Bergen seventh-grader Joshua Swapceinski and eighth-grader Garrett Swinter. The competition put all the students through their paces, with eight challenging rounds and scores of demanding words before a champion emerged. The competition was moderated by teacher Andrew McNeil; with instructors Charlene Kelly, Laurie Penepent, and Diana Walther acting as judges. 

Byron-Bergen’s exceptional spelling contestants:

Grade 6: Corey Abdella, Madison Burke, Sadie Cook, Grace Huhn, Elli Schelemanow, Alex Toal, Ella Van Valkenburg, Hallie Wade, and Corden Zimmerman. 
Grade 7: Julietta Doyle, Josh Fleming, Gavin Lewis, John Mercovich, Alaura Rehwaldt, Sarah Streeter, and Josh Swapceinski.
Grade 8: Siomara Caballero, Alex Dean, Cambria Kinkelaar, Ethan Ray, Garrett Swinter, Justice Towne, and Grant Williams.

Byron-Bergen’s Jr./Sr. High School Interim Principal Patrick McGee congratulated Shelemanow, Swapceinski, Swinter, and all the participants.

“Our schools are proud to have Elli represent us, and I’m confident she will do a great job,” he said. “All our kids did impressive work with very difficult spelling challenges. McGee also wished to thank all the teachers at the Elementary School and Junior HS for their support, “especially Jason Blom and Elizabeth Findley and the sixth-grade team.”           

Top photo: Robert Fowler/Byron-Bergen Grades 6-8 and Buffalo Evening News Spelling Bee (l-r) runner-up Garrett Swinter, Bee champion Elli Schelemanow, and runner-up Joshua Swapceinski. 

Members of the Pembroke Girls Basketball Team, along with coaches and Pembroke staff, delivered a donation Friday to Roswell Park for $10,287. The money was raised during last week's Shoot for a Cure basketball game. The annual event has raised more than $40,000 to help search for a cure to cancer.

Photo submitted by Mike Wilson.

St. Joe's School is closed today because of a heating problem.

For other closures and delays over the next 24 hours or so, e-mail howard@thebatavian.com.

A car has hit a utility pole on Liberty Street. 

The street is unpassable because of a possible power line down in the roadway.

City fire is responding.

Also, unrelated, a low-hanging wire, unknown type, is reported on Batavia Elba Townline Road between State Street Road and Norton Road. Town of Batavia fire is responding.

UPDATE 4:33 p.m.: A car did NOT hit a utility pole on Liberty Street. A car snagged a utility line, either phone or data. Firefighters cut the line and are back in service.

UPDATE 5 p.m.: Pembroke and Indian Falls are dispatched to Remsen Road, between Akron Road and Knapp Road, for low hanging wires. Unknown type of wires.

UPDATE 5:07 p.m.: It's a Time Warner line reports a chief. It will be cut. All units to remain in quarters. 

The region could be hit by as much as six inches of lake effect snow Monday, according to the National Weather Service, which just issued a winter weather advisory for noon Monday through 1 a.m., Tuesday.

Western Genesee County is specifically mentioned as an area that could be hardest hit.

At least three inches of heavy, wet snow is expected.

Winds will be out of the west at 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Visibility will be as little as a half a mile at times.

Meanwhile, heavy winds have moved in and temperatures could drop rapidly this evening, leading to the potential for black ice on roadways. The weather service advises caution if you must travel.

East Pembroke Fire Chief Don Newton is pictured with William Torres, who was honored as Firefighter of the Year by the East Pembroke Volunteer Fire Department at the department's annual awards dinner Saturday night.

Besides his tireless devotion to fire services and his many contributions to the department, Torres was honored as one of the top responders of 2015. He responded to 243 calls.

Ken Marble received the Fire Service Person of the Year award. The award can go to either a firefighter or member of the community. Co-winner this year, as voted by the members, was Ed Arnold Scrap Processors.

Marble also received certificates for going on 109 calls during the year and completing 54 hours of training.

Assemblyman Steve Hawley presented three long-serving members with certificates. From left are Dan Vania, 30 years of service, Robert Lang, 60 years of service, Hawley, and Don Newton Sr., 45 years of service.

Newton thanks the following local businesses for their support: Fenton's Produce , Ron & Newts , Holiday Ice , Kohorst Custom ome's , Ed Arnold Scrap Processors , Kohorst Trucking and Del-Mar Farms.

The department was called out 343 times in 2015. Members who made at least 25 percent of the calls and Monday night training combined for each quarter received a gift card, shirt and jacket.

The top responders, all making at least 100 calls, were: Kenny Marble, Andy Martin, Steve Smelski, Julie Waldron, James Gayton, Paul Kirch, Chris Bennett, Don Newton Sr, Don Newton Jr, Willie Torres, Matt Florian and Ryan Worthington.

An ATV struck a steel barrier on Chapel Road, just north of Route 262, in Byron. Unknown injuries. The caller reports not seeing an operator of the ATV in the vicinity. Byron and South Byron fire departments are responding. The location is just north of the old railroad bed. Command on scene tells responders to approach in non-emergency mode. "It appears this accident occurred some time ago. We're still looking in the brush here. ... I don't think there's anyone to be found here," command says. Law enforcement is responding, too. Mercy medics' response was cancelled.

UPDATE 10:55 a.m.: The fire departments are returning to service. "Law enforcement will handle it from here," command says.

City fire crews are at a house on Clinton Street where they just extinguished a "a big porch fire." They are checking for extensions. A second platoon was asked to report to fire headquarters. Didn't hear the exact address. 

UPDATE 7:13 a.m.: Code enforcement requested to the scene. 

UPDATE 8:11 a.m.: Clinton Street assignment back in service. Estimated $2,500 damage. The cause was an overheated light fixture.

A pedestrian was reportedly struck by a black pickup truck at the intersection of Bank and Main streets in Downtown Batavia a few minutes ago. The truck then reportedly went into the JC Penney parking lot at the mall before leaving there and turning left onto Washington Avenue. City fire, police and medics are responding.

UPDATE 7:15 p.m.: The pickup driver did not flee the scene, rather drove to a safe location nearby. A Mercy medic happened to get on scene soonest and said the patient was transported to a hospital before a determination was made as to medical condition.

UPDATE Sunday morning: The pedestrian succumbed to his injuries. The victim is identified as Joseph W. Ogozaly, 58, of Batavia. Following the accident, the patient was transported by Mercy EMS to a Mercy Flight landing zone and transported to Strong Memorial Hospital. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The investigation is ongoing and no charges against the driver have been placed at this time.